Adventure Travel for Outdoor Enthusiasts » yosemite national parkhttp://www.oars.com/blog | The EddyMon, 30 Mar 2015 15:07:18 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=340Best Yosemite Hikes Away from the Crowdshttp://www.oars.com/blog/best-yosemite-hikes-away-crowds/ http://www.oars.com/blog/best-yosemite-hikes-away-crowds/#commentsFri, 27 Jun 2014 14:00:30 +0000http://www.oars.com/blog/?p=5965If you want to get away from the masses without missing out on some of Yosemite National Park’s best views, here are the best hikes away from the crowds.

]]>Yosemite’s classic hikes like Half Dome, Yosemite Falls and the Mist Trail are not to be missed. After all, these trails offer up some of the most iconic national park experiences and views anywhere. But that also means you have to share these amazing spots with the crowds. If you’ve been there, done that, or want to get away from the masses without missing out on some of Yosemite National Park’s best views, we’ve got a few suggestions. We talked to John DeGrazio from YExplore—which offers custom guided Yosemite adventures—to find out which off-the-beaten-path hikes he recommends for every type of hiker. Here are his picks…

Most people will hike the eastern section of the Valley Loop Trail toward Mirror Lake. But John says you can hike the western valley floor loop along the Merced River for classic views of Sentinel Rock, Cathedral Rocks, Bridalveil Fall, El Capitan and Yosemite Falls. Don’t let the mileage scare you off, this is an easy stroll that you can spend 2-3 hours doing, or the whole day if you want to bring a picnic and enjoy your own riverside nook. Getting there: Trailhead begins just west of the El Capitan Bridge near the center of Yosemite Valley. Park along El Capitan Drive.

The obvious choice for those interested in seeing Yosemite’s giant sequoias—some of the largest and oldest trees on the planet—is the popular Mariposa Grove near the park’s south entrance which has more than 500 mature giant sequoias. To experience these giant beauties in complete solitude, however, opt for the Merced Grove Trail instead. It may be home to only 20 mature trees, but having them all to yourself is well worth the trade. Getting there: Located near the Big Oak Flat park entrance, the trailhead is just a few miles west of Crane Flat, where the Tioga Pass Road begins.

Many people notice the distinct feature of Tuolumne Meadows known as Lembert Dome as they drive by or stroll through the meadow, but fewer know of the rewarding views on top. According to John, it’s breathtaking. “You’re right above Tuolumne Meadows, looking at the Cathedral Range and two of the tallest peaks in Yosemite—Mt. Dana and Mt. Lyell,” he told us. After you make it to the top, he suggests sneaking around the backside of the mountain to have a picnic lunch at Dog Lake, which is another spot that not too many people know about. Getting there: Trailhead begins at Lembert Dome parking area on Tioga Road just past the Tuolumne Meadows visitor center.

The Sentinel Dome/Taft Point Loop combines two underrated hikes into one spectacular experience. At one end of the trail you can climb to the top of one of Yosemite’s famous domes with little effort for stunning views of the park’s most prominent landmarks. At the other, you can dangle your feet off the edge of a cliff a mile above Yosemite Valley (or not). Getting there: Trail begins at the Sentinel Dome/Taft Point parking lot 6 miles east of the Bridalveil Creek Campground turnoff on Glacier Point Road.

According to John, the old stage coach road that leads hikers up the south rim of the valley to Inspiration Point is not a really well-known trail at all. Yet, it’s the place where the first westerners came down into Yosemite Valley, and it’s where modern day visitors can snag the classic postcard view of El Capitan and Half Dome without having to fight the tour bus crowds at Tunnel View. Getting there: Trailhead leaves from Bridalveil Fall parking lot. If you’ve got less time, you can also make this a 2.6 mile roundtrip hike by leaving from the Tunnel View parking lot.

You have to work for it, but the Mount Hoffmann hike at the geographic center of Yosemite National Park doesn’t disappoint. The trail takes you past May Lake, one of the parks most scenic lakes, before ascending the top of Mt. Hoffman for mind-blowing panoramic views. John says that it’s not on anyone’s radar, but every time he takes people on this hike they can’t believe how spectacular it is. Getting there: From Tioga Road take the May Lake turnoff. From the turnoff it’s 1.8 miles to the trailhead.

Half Dome may be the top hike on everyone’s bucket list, but to those in the know, Cloud’s Rest is the premiere hike in Yosemite. From the top of Cloud’s Rest, not only do you get a nearly identical view as you do from the top of Half Dome, but looming giant and close you actually get one of the best views of Half Dome too. Sure, it’s a strenuous challenge, but the rewards are overwhelming. Getting there: Park at the Sunrise Lakes Trailhead at Tenaya Lake along Tioga Road for the most direct route.

John calls the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne the quintessential Yosemite experience, and it’s easy to understand why. As the trail follows the scenic Tuolumne River downstream it winds past picturesque waterfalls and cascading rapids, over shimmering granite slabs and through luscious alpine forest into the heart of Yosemite’s “Grand Canyon.” Then, right before reaching Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, you’re challenged with an invigorating ascent back out of the canyon. At nearly 30 miles, this hike is best done as a 4-day backpacking trip. Getting there: Hike begins on the Glen Aulin Trailhead at Tuolumne Meadows. Follow Tioga Road to the Lembert Dome parking area. You will need two cars, one at the Glen Aulin Trailhead and one at White Wolf campground (also off of Tioga Road).

]]>Did you know 150 years ago this month, President Abraham Lincoln gave us all a really great gift? On June 30, 1864, he signed the Yosemite Grant Act to preserve Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove for future generations. What’s the big deal? Here’s what that gift meant, and why we should be celebrating the Yosemite Grant every day…

The Beginning of America’s Best Idea

This historic move to preserve 39,000 acres of Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Big Tree Grove—by granting it to the State of California through the Yosemite Grant—helped pave the way for the creation of our country’s first national parks. Without the Yosemite Grant, which marked the first time in history that a piece of land was set aside to be protected for the enjoyment of everyone (not just royalty), who knows what would be left of our country’s greatest natural treasures. Today, there are 59 national parks across the country (and countless other national monuments, historic sites, lakeshores, and recreational areas that make up the National Park System). The best part about all of this is that these magnificent places belong to each and every one of us.

43,000 Miles of State Trails

Not to be overshadowed by our national parks, the Yosemite Grant marked the creation of California’s first state park—one of the first three state parks in the U.S. The move by lawmakers to preserve some of California’s most desirable land for recreational use, not financial benefit, helped inspire the birth of more than 6,000 state parks across the country. That’s more than 13 million acres of land, 43,000 miles of trails, and some 208,000 campsites in our backyards.

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

The Yosemite Grant wasn’t just about protecting a piece of land (albeit, a really astonishingly beautiful piece of land). What it was really about was preserving a special place for many generations to come. And that may be the biggest reason we should celebrate. Many of our nation’s most majestic and sacred places will be preserved for everyone, for all time, thanks to the widespread preservation movement that the Yosemite Grant set in motion. Our kids, their kids, and kids 150 years from now will be able to walk in our footsteps and be just as inspired by these amazing places as we get to be. The Yosemite Grant really is the gift that keeps on giving.

]]>http://www.oars.com/blog/3-really-good-reasons-celebrate-yosemite-grant-act/feed/0Half-Dome_Glacier-Pt_Jim.MarkleYosemite National Park, Ca.Yosemite National ParkThe Truth About Rim Fire Salvage Logginghttp://www.oars.com/blog/truth-rim-fire-salvage-logging/ http://www.oars.com/blog/truth-rim-fire-salvage-logging/#commentsTue, 03 Jun 2014 23:15:39 +0000http://www.oars.com/blog/?p=5820Plans for Rim Fire salvage logging are moving forward, but at what cost? Find out more about this heated debate and what you can do to help.

]]>Last year’s massive Rim Fire made international headlines as it burned 257,000 acres along the Tuolumne River on the western border of Yosemite National Park. It was the third largest fire in California history, and the largest ever recorded in the Sierra Nevada. So, by any measure, it was a fire of unprecedented scope and scale.

Fires, both large and small, are a natural and essential component of California ecosystems. In this case though, decades of public misinformation and misunderstanding, along with the sheer size of the Rim Fire, have left many people confused about what to do next.

At this moment, the U.S. Forest Service is moving forward with two plans to massively log the burn area. One plan (already approved!) calls for logging 99,000 trees along 194 miles of roads leading into Yosemite National Park, while the other plan calls for salvage logging 44,000 acres, and building or reconstructing, over 500 miles of roads in the National Forest. These plans raise very troubling and urgent questions about the fate of the Rim Fire region, Yosemite National Park, and the Tuolumne River canyon.

What Rim Fire Salvage Logging Will Really Look Like

Folks have offered conflicting arguments about jobs, economic benefits, wildlife, and future fire risks, but everyone is missing a profoundly significant reality: 45 percent of the soils in the Rim Fire zone were moderately to severely damaged. This means that organic matter was burned out of the soil. Why does this matter? Well, most people don’t realize that the new organic matter (lignin) that rebuilds soil can only come from decomposing trees.

If 44,000 acres in the burned area are logged, as the Forest Service proposes, this means that those soils may never recover, or may take hundreds of years to recover. New trees (and forests) cannot grow on highly damaged, impoverished soils. We all need to start asking ourselves what the Tuolumne River canyon and the forests along the western border of Yosemite National Park will look like after the Forest Service logs the Rim Fire region.

Imagine this: 44,000 acres of logging; 540 miles of road development and reconstruction; 5 years of mastication, slash-piling, and burning—and all of this intensive work being done with heavy equipment that pushes dirt around and tears up hillsides. On top of that, the Forest Service is planning to remove twice as many trees from the Rim Fire area as were logged in the entire state of California last year (and it has to be done at lightning speed because trees begin to decompose and lose their market value after one season). With foresters, loggers, and equipment operators moving as fast as they can, you can bet that any regard for ecological health will go out the window.

Is all this necessary?

The Forest Service claims that millions of dollars in trees will go to waste if the trees aren’t immediately logged, but they have not considered the extreme damage that logging will do to the ecology of the area or to the scenic values that attract visitors to Yosemite National Park. Who wants to raft a river, hike a trail, or drive roads through a landscape destroyed by logging? And what about the benefits of leaving the burn area intact? How about creating a “Rim Fire National Monument” so that countless generations of visitors can come see the incredible beauty of this area?

This is a pivotal moment: Once the Rim Fire is logged there is no turning back.

]]>http://www.oars.com/blog/truth-rim-fire-salvage-logging/feed/0Salvage Logging_WI Department of Natural ResourcesRim Fire Area June 2014_Jade WolfGuaranteed You’ve Got Time for This…http://www.oars.com/blog/guaranteed-youve-got-time/ http://www.oars.com/blog/guaranteed-youve-got-time/#commentsMon, 02 Jun 2014 15:08:35 +0000http://www.oars.com/blog/?p=5787The quintessential California road trip you and your BFF have been talking about for years is just a click away. Win a Yosemite National Park adventure.

How much time have you spent daydreaming about that epic California road trip you’re going to take some day? Well, we thought we’d inspire you to hop in the car and go. This summer, not next summer. Next month, not next year. Because if we keep telling ourselves there will be more time down the road for all the great things in life we plan on doing “some day,” time might just pass us by.

The winner and a guest will also receive a one-year membership and rental car from Zipcar (gas for the trip included!), lodging in Yosemite, sunglasses from our friends at Native Eyewear so you can cruise in style, and some of our favorite wine from Twisted Oak Winery. The quintessential California road trip you and your BFF have been talking about for years is just a click away.

]]>http://www.oars.com/blog/guaranteed-youve-got-time/feed/0The quintessential California road tripEnter-to-win-button-300×94Must-see Waterfalls of the West (That You Can’t Get to By Car)http://www.oars.com/blog/must-see-waterfalls-of-the-west/ http://www.oars.com/blog/must-see-waterfalls-of-the-west/#commentsMon, 14 Apr 2014 14:00:38 +0000http://www.oars.com/blog/?p=5308To get access to these spectacular waterfalls of the West you have to hoof it, or in some cases, hop in a boat...

]]>To get access to these spectacular waterfalls of the West you have to hoof it, or in some cases, hop in a boat…

Deer Creek Falls, Grand Canyon National Park

Deer Creek Falls is located at mile 137 on the Colorado River and is a highlight of any Grand Canyon rafting trip. From the river, it’s less than a 100-foot hike to the crystal clear pool at the base of the 180-foot falls, but a short climb up a rocky trail offers spectacular narrows and rewarding views of the river. Backpackers can also access Deer Creek Falls via a 20-mile round-trip hike on the Thunder River Trail from the North Rim.

Indian Creek Falls, Canyonlands National Park

Indian Creek Falls is a seasonal (springtime only) waterfall located at mile 17 on the Colorado River in Meander Canyon. From the river, it’s a short 1.5-mile roundtrip hike to the 20-foot waterfall and some well-preserved granaries and rock art left behind by Ancestral Puebloans. Get soaked under the falls, take a dip in the pool below or join the group in a round of butt slides for a fun and revitalizing Cataract Canyon rafting trip side hike.

Nevada Falls, Yosemite National Park

From Happy Isles in Yosemite National Park, hikers can access this 594-foot waterfall on the Merced River near the west end of Little Yosemite Valley. It’s a fairly strenuous 6-mile hike to the top and back with 2,000 feet of elevation gain. During peak season there are hordes of tourists walking to the lower Vernal Falls, but the crowd thins out considerably as you continue to Nevada Falls and it’s worth the extra couple miles!

Stair Creek Falls, Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest

At mile 55, Stair Creek Falls on Oregon’s Rogue River rafting trip is a gorgeous waterfall that cascades directly into a river alcove in the Mule Creek Canyon section of the river. It’s a great spot for a refreshing shower from the boat, or scramble up around the falls to take a dip in the pools above. Hikers can also access a spectacular view of the falls from the 40-mile Rogue River Trail on the opposite side of the river.

Veil Falls, Frank Church “River of No Return” Wilderness

Veil Falls at mile 81 on Idaho’s Middle Fork of the Salmon River is a unique waterfall that plummets freely into a natural amphitheater from a high rock overhang. From the river, there’s a short, but steep path that leads to the base of the falls. The flow of water is truly spectacular in early season, and then diminishes in volume in late summer. There are pictographs on the walls of the amphitheater left by Sheepeater Indians centuries ago, which makes this an ideal place to hang out and relax for a while.

]]>http://www.oars.com/blog/must-see-waterfalls-of-the-west/feed/2Must-see Waterfalls of the West (That You Can’t Get to By Car) – Deer Creek Falls, Grand Canyon National ParkMust-see Waterfalls of the West (That You Can’t Get to By Car) – Indian Creek Falls, Canyonlands National ParkMust-see Waterfalls of the West (That You Can’t Get to By Car) – Nevada Falls, Yosemite National ParkMust-see Waterfalls of the West (That You Can’t Get to By Car) – Stair Creek Falls, Rogue River – Siskiyou National ForestMust-see Waterfalls of the West (That You Can’t Get to By Car) – Veil Falls, Frank Church “River of No Return” Wilderness